Testing Insanity

As I mentioned yesterday, these last few weeks at school have been the beginnings of what we like to call "May Madness"... not to be confused with March Madness with the NCAA basketball season. Similar, but the madness is centered around the review sessions (both during school, after school and even on weekends) leading up to the 3 total weeks of AP & IB testing that goes on in May. OK... so this doesn't have the competition element, as well as the huge upsets & come-from-behind victories that the basketball tournament has... but in the land of high school... this is a big deal (well... at least for teachers). I can only hope it is for the kids too.

Because several of my students read "HeckLures Adventures," I will refrain from taking out any of my stresses here (because God forbid they think I'm venting about them personally). But preparing for daily reviews over material that covers an entire year (which is much harder than a college level class which only spans a semester), ensuring students are not only engaged but also motivated to dig deep and commit to studing probably more than they have ever done for one single class before all to try and get college credit on this end of the year standardized test. Auuughhhhh... the pressure!

Every year I anxiously await review time... in a way it allows me to really see what my students have ultimately learned over the course of the year. It is very, very rewarding - HOWEVER... mentally draining (I'm sure for them as well) and by this point every year (days before the exam)... I'm ready to be done with my students and I'm quite sure that they could care less to see any more of me. I guess really it is the stress doing that to us all... I mean, between all the extra review sessions I have held... I've seen them quite a bit more than usual. I think really by this point - we have been over exposed to each other. I mean that lovingly... but the truth is... I'm ready for summer. A break (relatively short this summer... only 6 weeks) that allows me to clear my head, reenergize my brain and start fresh in August.

So... my darling 9th graders will be taking their first ever AP exam on Thursday morning... I always say a quick but meaningful prayer to the "AP Gods" with hopes that each of them had a good night sleep, some brain food for breakfast and that the stars will be aligned as they answer both mulitple choice questions that cover 10,000 years of history and write 3 essays which cover chunks of time from the course. Certainly not easy to do... let alone for a 14/15 year old to do.

In addition, my sassy Seniors (I have other dear words to describe them... but again... some of them read my blog... they claim because they love me and find it interesting that I have a life outside of school) will be taking their IB History Exam tomorrow & Wednesday and then will officially be one step closer to earning their IB diploma. I have a great group of Seniors - I'm truely blessed with great students - but what is more is this is my first group of Seniors that I had back when they were just the baby freshman. It really is awsome to see them come Full Circle (and I would like to think because they have matured)... and to hope that I played a small (probably very small) part in all of that.

I'm truely blessed to do what I do every day. As with any profession, there are difficult days... but to have the opportunity to work with teenagers is very rewarding. Not only to see the "lightbulb go off" when they finally get it or maybe even when they figure out how to write a better thesis statement/essay OR even when you know that you have offered a listening ear to a student who trusts you enough to share their struggles or their fears with you and to know that you will not judge them... but only validate their feelings, point them in the right direction or reassure them that things that they are going through are really quite normal. Any or all of that makes every day as a teacher (even during May Madness) worth it all.